This is incredible

For the first time, ever, astronomers have captured an optical image of a planet orbiting a star like our own.

And that’s not all: we also have a second picture showing TWO planets orbiting a second star!

<IMG SRC="http://www.gemini.edu/images/stories/press_release/pr2008-8/fig2.jpg">

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/11/13/huge-exoplanet-news-items-pictures/

How long before we see the Holy Grail, the first image of a terrestrial planet, orbiting a star like the Sun at just the right distance for liquid water to bathe its surface? It may not be for a decade or two, but mark my words: that day will arrive. And when it does, well, we’ll just have to rewrite the history books again, won’t we?

It’s photoshopped.

is that is the same planet at different times, then that’s one hell of an eleptical orbit ..

Dropbear said:

is that is the same planet at different times, then that’s one hell of an eleptical orbit ..

Use the three-point problem solution: the plane of that ecliptic is not perpendicular to our line of vision.

Dropbear said:

is that is the same planet at different times, then that’s one hell of an eleptical orbit ..

No the pic I posted is in fact three planets.

There is another that shows a single planet imaged on both sides of it’s star.

>>Use the three-point problem solution

you’re not the boss of me

but good point.

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/06/10/astronomers-see-exoplanet-orbiting-its-parent-star/

The good stuff is in the center: two images of the planet, called Beta Pic b, are superposed in the picture; it was observed in 2003 (left blob), then again in late 2009 (right blob). Observations taken just months before in 2008 and 2009 observation didn’t show the blob at all — it must have been too close to the star to be seen clearly — indicating this really is a planet orbiting the star, and not just some background object like a star or galaxy. In other words, astronomers have captured the motion of the planet as it physically moved from one side of the star to the other!

Compared to our Sun and it’s planets I recon all three planets are way too close to the star they are orbiting, so I think the photo is a fake.

bob(from black rock) said:

Compared to our Sun and it’s planets I recon all three planets are way too close to the star they are orbiting, so I think the photo is a fake.

You do realise the black disc doesn’t represent the size of the star?

>>You do realise the black disc doesn’t represent the size of the star?<<

No I didn’t, but even if the “Sun” is about the same size as the “planets” then they are way to close to the star, compared to our solar system.

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bob(from black rock) said:

>>You do realise the black disc doesn’t represent the size of the star?<<

No I didn’t, but even if the “Sun” is about the same size as the “planets” then they are way to close to the star, compared to our solar system.

You make a good point Bob, but I don’t see how so many astronomers could get it wrong.

I suspect neither you or I understand the imaging process.

maybe the apparent size of those planets is much smaller than the actual dot that we can see?

>>I suspect neither you or I understand the imaging process.<< Agreed Skeppy

>>maybe the apparent size of those planets is much smaller than the actual dot that we can see?<<

Yes but to be similar in scale to our Solar System at the distances shown, the planets themselves would have to be the size of a pinhead.